Page 22 - Internationalist Magazine 2014 69

GLOBETROTTERS

This GLOBETROTTERS column is designed to keep the

international community connected. Not only will it spotlight

who is where in the world now, it will also describe the

adventures we all experience by living a life of constant

worldwide travel. If you’ve ever been hijacked, stuck in a

revolution or committed an unforgettable cultural faux pas,

everyone in our community will be curious to hear about it.

Please do tell us, and don’t forget the photos!

TO SUBMIT TO GLOBETROTTERS, EMAIL: deborah.malone@internationalistmagazine.com

BROWN FORMAN’S Asia Paciic and uncovered consumer insights that led to the
CARMEN D’ASCENDIS TO redevelopment of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel as the new “face” of

AMSTERDAM IN NEW MD the JD trademark. He then returned to the US to become Director

ROLE
of Global Marketing for Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.
We wish him well in a new city and new category, and have no
Carmen D’Ascendis’ long career with
Brown-Forman deies current statistics doubt that his successes will only continue.

that tend to measure the tenure of
CMOs in months rather than years. He INTERNATIONALIST
FROM TURKISH AIRLINES
started at Brown-Forman, one of the
top 10 global spirits companies, over 20 MOVES TO SUNEXPRESS

years ago when he entered the business VENTURE
as a merchandising representative for
Earlier this year, The Internationalist
the company. Since that time, he has lived in seven cities on named Faruk Çizmecio‐lu, Chief

four continents while working in 40 countries on behalf of the Marketing Oficer and Board
company and especially for Jack Daniel’s, the world’s best-selling Member of Turkish Airlines, as a

whiskey brand.
2013 Internationalist of the Year for
This month, he adds another city to that international roster
his extraordinary work in helping the company become a major

as he moves from Brown-Forman’s Global Headquarters in player in the highly-competitive international airline industry.
Louisville, Kentucky to Brown-Forman’s European Headquarters
Turkish Airlines is now ranked as the 4th largest carrier in the
in Amsterdam where he will serve as Senior Vice President Global world in terms of number of destinations. Faruk’s marketing
Managing Director Vodka, and shift his focus from Jack Daniel’s
efforts included international sports megastars Kobe Bryant and
to Finlandia Vodka and Chambord Liquor.
Lionel Messi as global brand ambassadors for the airline via a

His responsibilities and geographies underscore a level of “Widen Your World” campaign that ran in the US and more
brand experience and thought leadership that few achieve,
than 170 countries worldwide.

which led to his being named a 2012 Internationalist of the
Now after oficially retiring from Turkish Airlines, he will work
Year. Carmen’s own roots in are in the US, but, he is a true his magic again for his home country of Turkey and an airline

internationalist and true citizen of the world. His international industry that he knows so well. Faruk Çizmecio‐lu has taken on
career at Brown-Forman began in the late ‘90s in London as
a new role as Executive Vice President of SunExpress Airlines, a
Area Manager of Duty-Free for Europe and Scandinavia. He
joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. Based in
then relocated to Germany to take on his irst country-speciic
Antalya on the Turkish Riviera, SunExpress operates scheduled
Marketing Manager role. That soon led to a new assignment and a and chartered passenger lights to various destinations in Europe,
new continent when he became Regional Director of Australia and
Asia and North Africa. The airline also made news in 2012 when
New Zealand. His next transfer took him to Japan as the country’s it constructed a new, “environmental friendly” headquarters

Commercial Director where he delivered the two best inancial building called SunExpress Plaza, which underscored its
years in that market’s history. While based in Tokyo, Carmen
name via solar roof panels that generate enough electricity to

took on the additional role of Brand Director for Jack Daniel’s
supply power to all of the computers, among other features.

20 the internationalist